For the 16th year in a row, the Labrador retriever is once again America’s favorite purebred dog, according to registration numbers tallied by the American Kennel Club. The AKC released the figures and, as in past years, the Labrador far outstrips the second-most favorite – the golden retriever.

For 2005, one new breed joined the top 10 list and one got bumped off. The Miniature Schnauzer came in at #10 (#11 last year) displacing the Chihuahua into the #11 position (#10 last year). Additionally, 3 breeds changed position. The Yorkshire terrier jumped from #5 to #3 beating out the German Shepherd and Beagle. The German Shepherd fell from #3 to #4 and Beagle fell from #4 to #5.

In the top 10, only two breeds increased in overall numbers, that being the Yorkshire terrier and the miniature schnauzer. All other breeds on the top 10 list had a decline in overall numbers.

There are 157 AKC breeds totaling 920,804 registrations in 2005. This is down 4% from 2004 when registrations totaled 958,641.

The Top 10 Breeds of 2005 are:

1. Labrador retrievers 137,967
2. Golden retrievers 48,509
3. Yorkshire terriers 47,238
4. German shepherds 45,014
5. Beagles 42,592
6. Dachshunds 38,566
7. Boxers 37,268
8. Poodles 31,638
9. Shih Tzus 28,087
10. Miniature Schnauzer 24,144

At the other end of the spectrum, the English foxhound is again the least-registered purebred dog with 22 registrations followed by the Harrier with 42, The Otterhound with 44, the American Foxhound with 48, and Glen of Imaal Terrier with 51 registrations.

AKC Categories

The AKC recognizes dogs in seven categories: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding. The largest breed registration in each group is as follows:

• Sporting – e.g. Labrador retriever
• Hound – e.g. beagle
• Working – e.g. boxers
• Terrier – e.g. miniature schnauzer
• Toy – e.g. Yorkshire terrier
• Non-sporting – e.g. poodles
• Herding – e.g. German shepherd

  How Did YOUR Breed Score? Click here for the entire 2005 AKC ranking.

 

 

 

The Entire Ranking of 2005 AKC Dog Registrations

Rank        Breed

1        Retrievers (Labrador)
2        Retrievers (Golden)
3        Yorkshire Terriers
4        German Shepherd Dogs
5        Beagles
6        Dachshunds
7        Boxers
8        Poodles
9        Shih Tzu
10        Miniature Schnauzers
11        Chihuahuas
12        Pugs
13        Bulldogs
14        Pomeranians
15        Spaniels (Cocker)
16        Rottweilers
17        Boston Terriers
18        Shetland Sheepdogs
19        Maltese
20        Pointers (German Shorthaired)
21        Doberman Pinschers
22        Miniature Pinschers
23        Welsh Corgis (Pembroke)
24        Great Danes
25        Siberian Huskies
26        Bichons Frises
27        Basset Hounds
28        Spaniels (English Springer)
29        Weimaraners
30        Brittanys
31        Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
32        West Highland White Terriers
33        Mastiffs
34        Australian Shepherds
35        Papillons
36        Collies
37        St. Bernards
38        French Bulldogs
39        Lhasa Apsos
40        Scottish Terriers
41        Cairn Terriers
42        Bullmastiffs
43        Havanese
44        Vizslas
45        Chinese Shar-Pei
46        Newfoundlands
47        Bernese Mountain Dogs
48        Pekingese
49        Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay)
50        Bloodhounds
51        Akitas
52        Airedale Terriers
53        Chinese Crested
54        Rhodesian Ridgebacks
55        Border Collies
56        Italian Greyhounds
57        Great Pyrenees
58        Alaskan Malamutes
59        Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers
60        Brussels Griffons
61        Whippets
62        Bull Terriers
63        American Staffordshire Terriers
64        Chow Chows
65        Silky Terriers
66        Shiba Inu
67        Setters (Irish)
68        Japanese Chin
69        Old English Sheepdogs
70        Australian Cattle Dogs
71        Portuguese Water Dogs
72        Parson Russell Terriers
73        Pointers (German Wirehaired)
74        Spaniels (English Cocker)
75        Samoyeds
76        Fox Terriers (Wire)
77        Dalmatians
78        Giant Schnauzers
79        Welsh Corgis (Cardigan)
80        Schipperkes
81        Basenjis
82        Border Terriers
83        Irish Wolfhounds
84        Staffordshire Bull Terriers
85        Bouviers des Flandres
86        Setters (Gordon)
87        Belgian Malinois
88        Toy Fox Terriers
89        Norwich Terriers
90        Welsh Terriers
91        Keeshonden
92        Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
93        Tibetan Terriers
94        Borzois
95        Afghan Hounds
96        Norwegian Elkhounds
97        Setters (English)
98        Retrievers (Flat-Coated)
99        Standard Schnauzers
100        Belgian Tervuren
101        Bearded Collies
102        Tibetan Spaniels
103        Fox Terriers (Smooth)
104        Manchester Terriers
105        Kerry Blue Terriers
106        Plotts
107        Australian Terriers
108        American Eskimo Dogs
109        Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
110        Pointers
111        Belgian Sheepdogs
112        Norfolk Terriers
113        Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)
114        Anatolian Shepherds
115        Spinoni Italiani
116        Neapolitan Mastiffs
117        Irish Terriers
118        Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens
119        Salukis
120        Bedlington Terriers
121        Briards
122        Spaniels (Clumber)
123        English Toy Spaniels
124        Spaniels (Welsh Springer)
125        Affenpinschers
126        Miniature Bull Terriers
127        Scottish Deerhounds
128        Spaniels (American Water)
129        Lakeland Terriers
130        Retrievers (Curly-Coated)
131        Black and Tan Coonhounds
132        Pulik
133        Ibizan Hounds
134        Greyhounds
135        Spaniels (Field)
136        Spaniels (Irish Water)
137        Kuvaszok
138        Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
139        Lowchen
140        Pharaoh Hounds
141        Black Russian Terriers
142        German Pinschers
143        Spaniels (Sussex)
144        Skye Terriers
145        Komondorok
146        Sealyham Terriers
147        Canaan Dogs
148        Finnish Spitz
149        Dandie Dinmont Terriers
150        Glen of Imaal Terriers
151        Foxhounds (American)
152        Otterhounds
153        Harriers
154        Foxhounds (English)

** Data from AKC website: http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm